Hitler’s Mein Kampf reopens German debate

Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” (“My Struggle”), the 800-page anti-Semitic tract that the future German leader wrote in 1924 in Landsberg prison and that went on to sell 12.5 million copies, became available in German bookstores for the first time in 70 years on Friday, reopening a contentious historical debate.

The book is being republished by the Institute of Contemporary History Munich-Berlin (IfZ), which has been working on the project since 2012 and describes its new version as a “critical” edition with about 3,500 annotations and running to almost 2,000 pages, up from the original 800. Just 4,000 copies were printed. They sold out almost instantly, with 15,000 orders placed in advance.

IfZ director Andreas Wirsching said there had been requests for translation into Italian, French and English.

The IfZ claims it wants to demystify the book, saying: “This critical edition of ‘Mein Kampf’ should be understood as a contribution to the historical and political enlightenment. The aim is to deconstruct Hitler and his propaganda in a sustainable manner.”

Copies of the new critical edition of Adolf Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ are displayed prior to the book launch at the Institut für Zeitgeschichte (Institute for Contemporary History) on January 8, 2016 in Munich, Germany. Photo by Getty.

The book was never banned in Germany, but reprinting it was forbidden. Public access to the work was restricted, usually only being made available for academic purposes, with library copies “hidden” from public view. Copies are freely available in second-hand bookstores and online.

When American troops occupied Munich after World War II, Franz Eher, the publishing house that put out Nazi propaganda, was shut down and the copyright passed to the state of Bavaria, which prevented its reissue. But the copyright on “Mein Kampf” has expired, allowing its republication.

“The book is a Pandora’s box, which should be closed forever in the ‘poison cupboard’ of history” — Charlotte Knobloch

Bavaria was to have contributed some financing to the IfZ project, but in 2013 it withdrew a €500,000 offer on the orders of Horst Seehofer, the state’s premier and head of the Christian Social Union, the sister party of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union.

“I cannot put a request for a NPD [the extreme-right National Democratic Party] ban in Karlsruhe, and then give official approval for the diffusion of ‘Mein Kampf’ — that’s bad,” Seehofer said at the time.

A spokesman for the Bavarian Ministry of Culture said the reason for Seehofer’s U-turn was a visit to Israel in 2012, where he talked to Holocaust survivors and families of victims.

It remains to be seen how much publicity will be given to Hitler’s book. According to a dpa survey, German book chain Thalia said it is not planning to promote the book and will order it only “if a customer explicitly wants a copy.” Online retail giant Amazon said it will donate all proceeds from sales of the book to charity.

Controversially, there is talk that “Mein Kampf” could be taught in German schools.

The German minister for education and research, Johanna Wanka, a member of the CDU, and the German Teachers’ Association have backed the use of the new, annotated edition in German schools.

German Education Minister Johanna Wanka said that Hitler’s statements will not go “uncontradicted,” adding that “students have questions, and it is right that they can get rid of these in the classroom and talk about the issue.” Photo by Getty.

“The critical edition … has precisely the aim of contributing to political education,” the minister told Passauer Neue Presse.

“A professional treatment of passages in the classroom can be an important contribution to the immunization of adolescents against political extremism,” the president of the German Teachers’ Association, Josef Kraus, told Deutsche Welle.

Asked if the book might lead to increased support for far-right movements such as Pegida (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West), Kraus said that “much more dangerous is remaining silent or completely banning the book. It’s more important to me that something like this can be discussed in a differentiated and critical manner.”

Not everyone agrees. Charlotte Knobloch, chair of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, said: “The book is a Pandora’s box, which should be closed forever in the ‘poison cupboard’ of history.”

This article was updated with information about sales figures.

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RER

This statement is so far from factual, ‘Asked if the book might lead to increased support for far-right movements such as Pegida (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West),”.. Pediga is not far-right. I am a Socialist and I support Pegida. It is a common-sense movement to protect our Enlightenment society. Those on the Left should join Pegida since we will be the first to be silenced,/killed along with gays and atheists by the Islamification of Europe.

Posted on 1/8/16 | 5:40 PM CEST

sylvain

The reprint of this book is completely unnecessary, as unnecessary like the reform of the German orthography that produces words with the same three consonants in the middle like “Schlusssatz” or “Schlussspieler” or “Schrotttransport”.

Posted on 1/9/16 | 12:27 PM CEST

Joshua

I believe it is right to republish the book. It is free speech and a human right to write a book based on tour ideas. Just because you don’t agree with what’s said Sidorsky mean you should ban it. Another thing it’s ok to hate a group of people. And Hitler was right about revolution it takes a gun to begin

Posted on 1/9/16 | 7:00 PM CEST

suibne

the above brought to you by the same leftist fk nuts that won’t let kids read the bible…..politico is officially the biggest socialist sht site on the web……right floozie glasser?

Maybe some of the Republican Candidates should read this book especially those who believe that if there was no gun control the Holocaust would be different. Or maybe not.

Posted on 1/9/16 | 9:10 PM CEST

Michael Iger

The book should be available and I suspect, not having read this version, the footnotes will do much to debunk much of its effect. German society after all these years are both sensitive about the issues and mature about their past to handle it. Its a terrible read so aside from historical interest don’t see it flying off the shelf’s. What needs to be done is compare this diatribe with modern day extremists in the country.

Posted on 1/9/16 | 11:26 PM CEST

Wayne Maynard

I read this many years ago. Stuff like this is hard to read, but I think everyone should and also watch some of the excellent documentaries on Netflix with portray WW II. Really ugly, but you don’t want this happening again and it would be so easy. Just ask The Rump!

Posted on 1/9/16 | 11:56 PM CEST

ach!

This book is over 600 pages long, mostly just Hitler’s reminiscing about his history readings, rambling about the “messiness” of democracy, and anti-semitic hate. Who in the hell thinks kids in the 21st century need to re-read this barely coherent tome? Poor kinder….

Posted on 1/10/16 | 1:23 AM CEST

Bruce

Well, given political zionism and the protocols of the elders of zion ans what is happening throughout the world with regards to blatant corruption, bankers wars, cultural marxism killing free speech and pornography and deviancy as thr new normal i believe that this book will empower the 90% of humanity that suffer the plague of extremist leftism and their promotion of smut to speak out
By the way I am an atheist so this isn’t a religious rant, but I had a daughter and I don’ t wany her exposed to the slut walks, to the miley cyruses of the world, to rampant debauchery that is infecting this world with rampant promotion of freedom as in if you are filthy it is freedom and if you are clean and normal then something is wrong with you and you don’t get with the slut program

Posted on 1/10/16 | 11:24 AM CEST

Tim Bond

The subject of Hitler and his “struggle” requires rational objective analysis; now it must be possible to reflect on that period and also judge that he was a deeply-flawed human being. The new footnotes will now doubt explain why he entered a virtual chamber of horrors. His warped brand of evil has changed all Europe forever. It happened and we can not deny it.

The former pogroms of Russia were also devastating but what happened in Germany was on an unimaginable massive scale in a civilized society. Tyranny disguised as latent nationalism must be confronted and challenged; otherwise the human race may be doomed to repeat the whole episode again of racial persecution. Germany is fully aware of its responsibilities and not avoiding its historical guilt by printing this biography with important footnotes by historians.